E-Vener wrote:
Lots of places sell canvas backdrops. I am sure A.L.'s is custom made for this shoot.

I went to my local art supply store (Jerry's Artorama) and they carry 2 types of canvas cloth, primed and un-primed in cotton and linen. The primed are crazy expensive while un-primed are super cheap. I wasn't sure which to get but the people at the art store said that I should get the primed because if I paint over it and and roll it up or fold it then the paint won't crack or peel off. The reason I didn't get their primed canvas is because they would only sell me the entire roll and not by the yard which was weird because I was told over the phone that they sell canvas by the yard.

Anyway, I bought the un-primed canvas and after I got home I realized that I have some drop cloth from Lowe's that I had used when I painted our bedroom and the material looks the same and cost less.

So, back to your comment. Have you used canvas for any of your photoshoot? Did you paint them?

Buy duck canvas right off the roll at your local art supply shop. Then head to the Oil Painting section and buy white Gesso. Get yourself a broad (4") Sable brush, and head home. Under these circumstances, a paint roller will do.

IMPORTANT When you Gesso a canvas it will shrink! In the context of a painting, this is a good thing because it pulls the canvas taught over the stretcher bars. My advice to you is to lay the canvas flat on the floor with heavy objects around its edges, then prime. THE CANVAS WILL ALSO STIFFEN.

Buy more than you think you'll need to compensate for the shrinkage. Then, it's crafty airbrush work, or if you're that good, spray paint. I could do it for you with spray paint, with ease. But, I'm in NY.

Using a backdrop that is slightly smaller than the intended final photo area is an accepted painter's and photographic strategy. Including the rough area outside of the backdrop is away of keeping the subject from just floating in an undefined anonymous space by showing the artifice of the set up.

Off of the top of my head, other photographers I can think of who have used this framing strategy include Irving Penn, Lee Crum, & Arthur Meyerson.

Buy duck canvas right off the roll at your local art supply shop. Then head to the Oil Painting section and buy white Gesso. Get yourself a broad (4") Sable brush, and head home. Under these circumstances, a paint roller will do.

IMPORTANT When you Gesso a canvas it will shrink! In the context of a painting, this is a good thing because it pulls the canvas taught over the stretcher bars. My advice to you is to lay the canvas flat on the floor with heavy objects around its edges, then prime. THE CANVAS WILL ALSO STIFFEN.

Buy more than you think you'll need to compensate for the shrinkage. Then, it's crafty airbrush work, or if you're that good, spray paint. I could do it for you with spray paint, with ease. But, I'm in NY.

Thanks a lot for the tip! However, I am not a painter and I don't have airbrush or spray paint so paint roller is the way to go for me and I would feel much more comfortable as to not mess up the canvas cloth.

Skarkowtsky wrote:
I just noticed that you've already purchased the canvas. Please try out the remainder of my steps, and let me know what you think.

P.S. If you're using household paint primer, the canvas might still shrink, as it's the nature of cotton.

I was thinking about using killz primer to prime the canvas laid flat on the floor and then roll the grayish paint with a roller. Looks like I will also need two shades of gray to get the burn in effect.

Here's what you do to achieve the gradients without spraying light coats.
Use the roller to apply your primer coat. Then, use the 4" Sable brush, using the dry brush technique (apply paint to the brush, the wipe 95% of it off, onto a paper towel, the remaining 5% will seem like a "dry" coat of paint. This will allow you to make easy gradients from the lightest gray to the unpainted section in the center.

For painting the darker gradients, mix a few tones of gray, apply the darkest tone first, then the next shade and so on, blending them with a different, absolutely clean brush. You'll love the results.

Use acrylics, they move on the canvas like oil paint, but dry in an hour. So, you'll have time to make corrections.

Skarkowtsky wrote:
Here's what you do to achieve the gradients without spraying light coats.
Use the roller to apply your primer coat. Then, use the 4" Sable brush, using the dry brush technique (apply paint to the brush, the wipe 95% of it off, onto a paper towel, the remaining 5% will seem like a "dry" coat of paint. This will allow you to make easy gradients from the lightest gray to the unpainted section in the center.

For painting the darker gradients, mix a few tones of gray, apply the darkest tone first, then the next shade and so on, blending them with a different, absolutely clean brush. You'll love the results.

Use acrylics, they move on the canvas like oil paint, but dry in an hour. So, you'll have time to make corrections....Show more →

Just like photography, painting a backdrop is a lot harder than it looks. I have done 4 or 5 in my old studio and only 1 or 2 were any good...often you'll get an area that looks great with smooth transitions and perfect tones but not the entire drop. And then another time it all falls into place perfectly--good luck!
I'm really not sure if it's better to plan out what you want or have a beer or two, crank up the iPod and have at it....
I did have a guy come in and do a 9' tall x 15' wide one on a wall with a paint sprayer, took him about an hour.

These were very popular a few years ago, some things always look good...

E-Vener wrote:
Using a backdrop that is slightly smaller than the intended final photo area is an accepted painter's and photographic strategy. Including the rough area outside of the backdrop is away of keeping the subject from just floating in an undefined anonymous space by showing the artifice of the set up.

Off of the top of my head, other photographers I can think of who have used this framing strategy include Irving Penn, Lee Crum, & Arthur Meyerson.

It seems to have gotten more popular as yet, and I'm even thinking of a project using it. The benefit IMO is that it separates and defines the subject clearly and yet keeps the subject within context.